MILITARY STORIES

[987654321]

I'm a former LRS guy 504th BFSB the differences come in equipment and size of force.

I have no choice but to separate into vehicle types because that's what is the primary factor (Stryker's, Abrams (19K), Bradley's, 1068s, MATV/MRAPS)

This first part is going to be in reference to Unified Land Operations:

the difference between a Scout and Mech INF is what we do once contact is created. Rather on feet or in a fighting vehicle a scouts main purpose is to be the eyes of the commander and provide timely and accurate intelligence so that commanders can make timely decisions.

The Infantry generally is the organic unit that seeks to engage and destroy the enemy or maintain contact until the enemy force is attrited

The basic/core competencies of the jobs do not change based on mobility.

When I was a member of the 504th BFSB we had all kind of force enablers national based that would support us in our ability to be the eyes of the battlefield. You set your scouts in Observation Points along screen lines. You set your infantry in fighting positions. When I was in 1st CAV same type of enablers except lesser level more organic or division based.

Ok so that's the old BS:

What is now starting to occur is each heavy Cav Squadron now has a tank company and each troop has a FIST which provides even more lethality forward of the Infantry and a means to hold contact with the enemy. With BFVs and Abrams along the screen lines moving out of Observation Points the enemy should be generally atritted (destroyed/disrupted/degraded) more before they meet the primary fighting force.

The Infantry along with Armor, Artillery, and Engineer assets at that point along with their FIST element and tank elements should be able to attrit the remainder of the enemy force.

In all reality when you are sitting on staff planning operations the MOS seems to kind of fly out. I want my scouts with FIST and enablers (JTACs) ahead of the main fighting forces. I want my Infantry tucked away with Tankers, Artillery, and Engineers (JTACS) and I want my BDE, Support BN, and Engineers tucked away. AKA everyone supports the Infantry but everyone at any given time can be in contact but no one is expected to maintain and commit to holding the contact compared to the Infantry.

Our light scouts got fukked royally lol. I was a medic in an Artillery battalion that was used as a maneuver battalion with 2 extra infantry company attachments to help us hold our battle space. We held Khost, east of the K-G pass. Our Cav squadron had to hold everything west as a maneuver “battalion” with no additional attachments aside from some artillery dudes from the 82nd Airborne/319th FAR, that shot for both of us lol. If you’ve ever seen the documentary “hornets nest” the soldiers in ACU’s under Col. Lutzky, we’re our cav squadron. What they had to do was completely against their function lol. They came back mad AF! Not only did they have to deal with their own constant fights, their squadron CO would drag some of them over to our side to fight some more lmao.

 

[TheDarkskinnedDrake]

Did you fukk chicks that you put in? There was a scandal which is why the dude that I met said he fukked every chick that he put in. If you don't want to make this about you would you say that a lot of dude recruiters fukked female recruits? Personally I think that recruiters should be retirees or that recruiting should be the last job on your way out the door.

Nah I didn’t I was on my straight narrow due to wanting to go to selection after it but man you get p*ssy thrown at you by teachers and moms one chick I put in tried to throw it on me when she got back and I was like MY CAREER

 

[NatiboyB]

No I'm asking what's the difference in being Cav and Mech Infantry? I mean basically you ride on a track then get off to shoot people in the face correct?

Something went horribly wrong if you left your vehicle to get out and shoot someone the track has a gunner and turret. Both Infantry and Scouts shouldn't be dismounting and a tanker better not consider it unless it's the last course of action.

I think this question comes from the confusion we suffered through doing COIN operations. I would be hard pressed to tell you the difference between Infantry/Scouts/Tankers/Combat Engineers/13F-B during COIN. I mean we would all have Engineers attached they would utilize line charges and conduct patrols and cordon and searches but they weren't Infantryman. The MOS stuff during COIN operations seems to have confused everyone in the Army.

More defined roles exist in force on force near peer action

 

[NatiboyB]

Our light scouts got fukked royally lol. I was a medic in an Artillery battalion that was used as a maneuver battalion with 2 extra infantry company attachments to help us hold our battle space. We held Khost, east of the K-G pass. Our Cav squadron had to hold everything west as a maneuver “battalion” with no additional attachments aside from some artillery dudes from the 82nd Airborne/319th FAR, that shot for both of us lol. If you’ve ever seen the documentary “hornets nest” the soldiers in ACU’s under Col. Lutzky, we’re our cav squadron. What they had to do was completely against their function lol. They came back mad AF! Not only did they have to deal with their own constant fights, their squadron CO would drag some of them over to our side to fight some more lmao.

That's almost how it was when I was there I was in a organization at the time 4-4 CAV it has since become 1-4 CAV but it's out of Fort Riley. They had us out there like sitting ducks towards the Arghandab. We had to deal with 101st and 10th Mountain Brigades (RC-S). That was my last deployment when I tell you once I left that place I was over it...Like the total misuse of forces and lack of proper allocation of assets it was horrible. Lost some outstanding Soldiers out there.

 

[987654321]

No I'm asking what's the difference in being Cav and Mech Infantry? I mean basically you ride on a track then get off to shoot people in the face correct?

They’re meant for observing stuff but lately they’ve just been used to patrol and maneuver. Scouts can pretty much be anything, they don’t have to be mounted. There’s airborne scouts, light scouts (Air assault), regular light scouts, light cav scouts, armored cav scouts, etc. there’s only 4 platoons in a troop. HQ platoon plus Red, White, and Blue platoons.

Our platoons can be a fraction of the size of an infantry platoon. Sometimes they’re a little more heavily armed or stick closer to vehicles or other assets because the formations are so small. My first scout platoon was in an anti-tank infantry company with 2 inf platoons and a mortar platoon. When we did stuff everyone had mortars embedded in their platoons. They’re small but have the means to get really deadly real fast though. They can end up in situations where they are stuck with only 2-3 people doing stuff on their own.

 

[NatiboyB]

Their meant for observing stuff but lately they’ve just been used to patrol and maneuver. Scouts can pretty much be anything, they don’t have to be mounted. There’s airborne scouts, light scouts (Air assault), regular light scouts, light cav scouts, armored cav scouts, etc. there’s only 4 platoons in a troop. HQ platoon plus Red, White, and Blue platoons.

Our platoons can be a fraction of the size of an infantry platoon. Sometimes they’re a little more heavily armed or stick closer to vehicles or other assets because the formations are so small. My first scout platoon was in an anti-tank infantry company with 2 inf platoons and a mortar platoon. When we did stuff everyone had mortars embedded in their platoons. They’re small but have the means to get really deadly real fast though. They can end up in situations where they are stuck with only 2-3 people doing stuff on their own.

honestly it was a TTP to send a team out on Patrol for a while especially in areas we had RAID cameras and PTDS

 

[42 Monks]

I understand you now. You're a boy scout. You're problem with the airborne thing was you thought I was promoting something that was dangerous and unecessary and although the miltary worked out for you, I shouldn't "promote" it.

i'm a boy scout because i actually know what the fukk i'm talking about?

if you stopped trying to be a knowitall when all you do is tell on yourself then you wouldn't be so wound up all the time. im good lol. more than a few people here know i'm good.

and recruiting standards are a big fukking deal. the army is still dealing with the problems from opening the floodgates for the surge.... that b*stard got barred from reenlistment and lost retirement over that

Our light scouts got fukked royally lol. I was a medic in an Artillery battalion that was used as a maneuver battalion with 2 extra infantry company attachments to help us hold our battle space. We held Khost, east of the K-G pass. Our Cav squadron had to hold everything west as a maneuver “battalion” with no additional attachments aside from some artillery dudes from the 82nd Airborne/319th FAR, that shot for both of us lol. If you’ve ever seen the documentary “hornets nest” the soldiers in ACU’s under Col. Lutzky, we’re our cav squadron. What they had to do was completely against their function lol. They came back mad AF! Not only did they have to deal with their own constant fights, their squadron CO would drag some of them over to our side to fight some more lmao.

2-5 was known for that. They'd redeploy and walk past the unit replacing them on some "have fun " shyt. Wouldn't even record half of what was going on. And I'd be stuck there still trying to reeducate some guard unit on why expecting a vehicle recovery on any of those roads was more trouble than it was worth if it was even possible.

 

[987654321]

That's almost how it was when I was there I was in a organization at the time 4-4 CAV it has since become 1-4 CAV but it's out of Fort Riley. They had us out there like sitting ducks towards the Arghandab. We had to deal with 101st and 10th Mountain Brigades (RC-S). That was my last deployment when I tell you once I left that place I was over it...Like the total misuse of forces and lack of proper allocation of assets it was horrible. Lost some outstanding Soldiers out there.

Everyone I’ve ever know to get stuck in that place says it made them decide to get out smh. I can’t imagine.

 

[NatiboyB]

Everyone I’ve ever know to get stuck in that place says it made them decide to get out smh. I can’t imagine.

honestly I would have also but I was a SFC and on the other side of 10.

 

[NatiboyB]

Everyone I’ve ever know to get stuck in that place says it made them decide to get out smh. I can’t imagine.

I'll raise you one better what if I told you that we have lost more Soldiers who returned from that deployment than we did Soldiers on it. I did multiple tours to Iraq and Afghan but that deployment had a huge effect on guys. Rather it was suicide or liver disease. This was just 2010. Like we even have a support group now we are trying to get started.

 

[987654321]

What is now starting to occur is each heavy Cav Squadron now has a tank company and each troop has a FIST which provides even more lethality forward of the Infantry and a means to hold contact with the enemy. With BFVs and Abrams along the screen lines moving out of Observation Points the enemy should be generally atritted (destroyed/disrupted/degraded) more before they meet the primary fighting force.

That makes a lot of sense. Before I got out they did add an engineer, and later tank company, to our squadron. It was a Stryker brigade so, of course the tankers came with the MGS variant. We just made sure to call them fat for no reason.

 

[987654321]

I'll raise you one better what if I told you that we have lost more Soldiers who returned from that deployment than we did Soldiers on it. I did multiple tours to Iraq and Afghan but that deployment had a huge effect on guys. Rather it was suicide or liver disease. This was just 2010. Like we even have a support group now we are trying to get started.

That year was shytty for a lot of RC-East and South smh. I don’t regret wanting to experience deploying, but that shyt put a lot of things in perspective for me.

 

[42 Monks]

Something went horribly wrong if you left your vehicle to get out and shoot someone the track has a gunner and turret. Both Infantry and Scouts shouldn't be dismounting and a tanker better not consider it unless it's the last course of action.

I think this question comes from the confusion we suffered through doing COIN operations. I would be hard pressed to tell you the difference between Infantry/Scouts/Tankers/Combat Engineers/13F-B during COIN. I mean we would all have Engineers attached they would utilize line charges and conduct patrols and cordon and searches but they weren't Infantryman. The MOS stuff during COIN operations seems to have confused everyone in the Army.

More defined roles exist in force on force near peer action

COIN has confused so many basic ass functions and created overthinking in places where there shouldn't be any. Our engineers would be making a DHA one week, doing C-IED the next, then acting as MPs for the remainder of the month. And maybe 2 NCOs would have training for any of it.

The worst was that our SFC was one of those a$$holes from the earlier years. Back when they were doing all that cowboy shyt while at the same time riding through the street with no uparmored vehicles couldn't tell him shyt. Refused to adjust anything.

That year was shytty for a lot of RC-East and South smh. I don’t regret wanting to experience deploying, but that shyt put a lot of things in perspective for me.

same here

imagine my face when i found out the friendship gate wasn't that friendly at all

 

[NatiboyB]

COIN has confused so many basic ass functions and created overthinking in places where there shouldn't be any. Our engineers would be making a DHA one week, doing C-IED the next, then acting as MPs for the remainder of the month. And maybe 2 NCOs would have training for any of it.

The worst was that our SFC was one of those a$$holes from the earlier years. Back when they were doing all that cowboy shyt while at the same time riding through the street with no uparmored vehicles couldn't tell him shyt. Refused to adjust anything.

same here

imagine my face when i found out the friendship gate wasn't that friendly at all

I mean what can you say in his mind he has probably blocked out a bunch of stuff and once deployed develops the delusion that since he survived other times he will continue to survive. So much of this stuff comes down to luck and not actual skill. I'll admit I was just luck. Me riding around like a cowboy because I was lucky could get us all fukked off.

 

[Wiseborn]

Nah I didn’t I was on my straight narrow due to wanting to go to selection after it but man you get p*ssy thrown at you by teachers and moms one chick I put in tried to throw it on me when she got back and I was like MY CAREER

So holmes was right. That's crazy.